Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate

Bullock County had the highest poverty rate of 67 counties in 2020, at 30.8%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 7%. The median was 16.8% and the figure for Alabama was 14.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.8Bullock County
Lowest7Shelby County
Median16.867 counties
Alabama14.9History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Bullock CountyBullock County: 30.8 %30.8Perry CountyPerry County: 30.7 %30.7Sumter CountySumter County: 29.2 %29.2Greene CountyGreene County: 27.9 %27.9Macon CountyMacon County: 27.9 %27.9Dallas CountyDallas County: 26.7 %26.7Barbour CountyBarbour County: 25.5 %25.5Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 22.9 %22.9Pickens CountyPickens County: 22.7 %22.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 22.5 %22.5Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 22.2 %22.2Hale CountyHale County: 21.9 %21.9Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 21.9 %21.9Geneva CountyGeneva County: 21 %21Butler CountyButler County: 20.6 %20.6Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 20.4 %20.4Escambia CountyEscambia County: 20.4 %20.4Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.4 %20.4Russell CountyRussell County: 20.3 %20.3Pike CountyPike County: 19.7 %19.7Clarke CountyClarke County: 19.5 %19.5Marengo CountyMarengo County: 18.3 %18.3Lee CountyLee County: 17.9 %17.9Bibb CountyBibb County: 17.8 %17.8Mobile CountyMobile County: 17.6 %17.6Randolph CountyRandolph County: 17.5 %17.5Washington CountyWashington County: 17.5 %17.5Coosa CountyCoosa County: 17.4 %17.4Lamar CountyLamar County: 17.4 %17.4Winston CountyWinston County: 17.4 %17.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 17.2 %17.2Covington CountyCovington County: 17.1 %17.1Talladega CountyTalladega County: 16.9 %16.9Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 16.8 %16.8Marion CountyMarion County: 16.8 %16.8Fayette CountyFayette County: 16.5 %16.5Walker CountyWalker County: 16.4 %16.4Chambers CountyChambers County: 16.3 %16.3Henry CountyHenry County: 16.2 %16.2Etowah CountyEtowah County: 15.6 %15.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Bullock County30.8+0.8 pts
2Perry County30.7-3.2 pts
3Sumter County29.2-7.2 pts
4Greene County27.9-3.8 pts
4Macon County27.9-1.4 pts
6Dallas County26.7+0.7 pts
7Barbour County25.5-1.6 pts
8Conecuh County22.9+0.7 pts
9Pickens County22.7-1.6 pts
10Monroe County22.5-0.8 pts
11Wilcox County22.2-10.3 pts
12Hale County21.9+1.4 pts
12Lowndes County21.9-4.7 pts
14Geneva County21+4.9 pts
15Butler County20.6-1 pts
16Choctaw County20.4-2.2 pts
16Escambia County20.4-0.1 pts
16Montgomery County20.4+4.6 pts
19Russell County20.3+1.4 pts
20Pike County19.7-2.1 pts
21Clarke County19.5+1.1 pts
22Marengo County18.3-6.5 pts
23Lee County17.9+2.4 pts
24Bibb County17.8-2.5 pts
25Mobile County17.6-0.1 pts
26Randolph County17.50 pts
26Washington County17.5-1.1 pts
28Coosa County17.4+0.3 pts
28Lamar County17.4+2.1 pts
28Winston County17.4+0.7 pts
31Franklin County17.2+1.1 pts
32Covington County17.1-0.1 pts
33Talladega County16.9-0.5 pts
34Crenshaw County16.80 pts
34Marion County16.8-0.1 pts
36Fayette County16.5-0.5 pts
37Walker County16.4-0.9 pts
38Chambers County16.3-3.3 pts
39Henry County16.2-1 pts
40Etowah County15.6-3.2 pts
41Dale County15.5-2.6 pts
42Lawrence County15.4-2.3 pts
42Marshall County15.4-0.3 pts
44Jackson County15.3+0.6 pts
45DeKalb County15.2-3 pts
45Tallapoosa County15.2-0.8 pts
47Houston County14.8-4.6 pts
48Cherokee County14.7-1.2 pts
49Calhoun County14.5-2.7 pts
50Colbert County14.4-0.2 pts
50Jefferson County14.4-1.8 pts
50Morgan County14.4+0.7 pts
50Tuscaloosa County14.4-1.8 pts
54Clay County14.2-2.4 pts
54Cleburne County14.2+0.9 pts
56Chilton County13.9-2.1 pts
56Coffee County13.9-1.1 pts
56Lauderdale County13.9-1.8 pts
59Blount County13.1-3.2 pts
60Cullman County12.5+0.3 pts
61Elmore County11.5+0.1 pts
62Autauga County11.2-0.9 pts
63Madison County10.5-1 pts
63St. Clair County10.5-0.7 pts
65Limestone County10.4-1.6 pts
66Baldwin County8.9-1.2 pts
67Shelby County7+0.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Alabama by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Bullock County, with 30.8% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Shelby County, with 7% in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings